DIY Dorm: Smartphone Projector

07.03.12

Nowadays, we can do almost anything on a smart phone: send emails, play games, and even watch movies. Sometimes, however, squinting at the small screen can leave our eyes feeling tired. Rather than watch a movie or show on the tiny screen, why not magnify it via your very own projector? Check out this fun and simple addition to our DIY Dorm series:

What You’ll Need:

Shoe box

Duct tape

X-acto knife (works better than scissors)

Magnifying glass (try a larger lens – aim for 3-4 inch diameter)

Ruler

Pencil

Phone stand (or something to act as a stand for your phone)

What You’ll Do:

Duct tape any openings.

1.Cover all holes and gaps in the box using the duct tape. You don’t want to allow any light to enter or leave the box except for where you will place the magnifying glass.

Mark around the lens.

2.Go to the front and center of the box (on the shorter side). Place the magnifying glass there and mark around it so you will know where to cut. I suggest cutting a slightly smaller hole that you can push the magnifying glass lens into.

3.Using your X-Acto knife, slowly cut out the hole you just marked. Patch up any rough edges with duct tape.

Push the lens into the opening.

4.From the inside of the box, push the lens into the opening. Tape the handle to the inside of the box (to keep the lens in place).

5.Line up your smartphone or iPod with the magnifying glass and mark this space. This is so you will know where to place the phone whenever you use it. Place your “phone stand” on the spot you just marked and glue it down (if you’d like it to be permanent).

Phone Stands

6.You’re ready to use your new projector! Turn the screen brightness up to the highest setting on our phone and open the video you wish to view. You will have to place the phone upside down in order to have the picture appear right-side up.

** Most phones will continue to flip the image so it is right-side-up. Locking the orientation usually fixes this problem. Find out how to do this on the iPhone here.

7.Just turn off the lights and – voila! – you’re all set to go. A darker room will show a clearer image.

Fancy technology? Maybe not…but plenty of fun just the same! You may have to play around with the project and figure out what works best for you and the specific materials you have.

Try out this project for yourself and let us know how it goes! Do you have any tips to share? Post a comment below!

Sara, you didn’t read the whole story above “** Most phones will continue to flip the image so it is right-side-up. Locking the orientation usually fixes this problem. Find out how to do this on the iPhone here.” between #6 & #7,

I wish there was an example of how it looks once the project is finished. This sounds like a lot of fun but if it turns out kinda dopey looking I wouldn’t want to invest a couple hours putting this together:-(

Kayla, you might have to see if your box is big enough for your lens. If your phone is within a certain distance, it won’t show an image at any distance from the wall. I had to lengthen my box to make it work. A 4″ lens that’s about 1/4″ thick is just too big for the box I was using lol

Mine didn’t work either.. I see a white screen but te actual video does not come through.. I agree a (successful) finished project or video would be so helpful.. Does the size/shape of shoebox come into play??

if, say you wanted to project a video from netflix how would you keep the screen upsidedown?? the link on step
6 only works for things like messaging… not in apps. also even if i did work in apps i dont see how it would be helpful…. you can only lock it in portrait mode… not landscape… someone please help?!??

I love this! I have a pretty big lens so I had to lengthen my box as well, but I love it! Took me less than an hour and I’m going to cover mine in scrapbook paper to avoid the ‘dopey looking’ concerns of others

Hey Morgan – That’s a good question! I’m not sure whether or not that method would work (haven’t tried it!), but it’d definitely be worthwhile to test out. I’m not sure whether you could find a lens big enough or if that image would be clear, but it can’t hurt to try!

I made a projector for my ipad3 with a large box and a magnifying glass that had a 4 in diameter. It worked well, just make sure the back light is all the way up. You may want an external speaker too. I couldn’t hear Netflix very loud unless I sat right next the the projector.

This won’t work. For it to project your phone needs to project a super bright light. Your phone doesnt have enough lumens to project a picture to your wall from a distance. Unless you bring the box an inche closer to the wall and get a projection as small as the screen of your phone it self.

[…] DIY Dorm: Smartphone Projector | The College Juice Nowadays, we can do almost anything on a smart phone: send emails, play games, and even watch movies. Sometimes, however, squinting at the small screen can leave our eyes feeling tired. Rather than watch a movie or show on the tiny screen, why not magnify it via your very own projector? Check out this fun and simple addition to our DIY Dorm series: 1.Cover all holes and gaps in the box using the duct tape. You don

Hello,
I am looking for some photos of this project for a flyer for our teen program. We are doing this for teens at a public library. May we please use your photos if we cite where they came from?
Sincerely,
Anne Rhodes, teen librarian
Mansfield/Richland County Public Library